Photo credit: King of Pops
When I first picked up Work is Fun by Steve Carse, CEO of King of Pops, I expected quirky stories and some entrepreneurial charm. What I didn’t expect was a deeply personal, thought-provoking take on how we experience our careers, no matter what kind of work we do.
Steve’s story begins not with popsicles, but with frustration. After a layoff from AIG during the Great Recession, he found himself stuck in traffic with a broken car, yelling in the solitude of his commute. He imagined making that same drive for the next 40 years and felt nothing but sadness. That moment became a pivot point.
“I think it was the climax of that frustration,” Steve told me. “But it took an external force—a great recession—for me actually to make that change. I want the book to be a reminder: don’t wait for an external event to start enjoying your work.”
That insight is what makes Work is Fun different. It’s not just a guide for entrepreneurs. It’s for anyone who wants to rediscover meaning in what they do. Steve lays out a framework—seven ways, to be exact—to make work more meaningful and fun.
Rewriting the Story of Work
One key idea in Steve’s book is that work is more enjoyable when we know the story we’re living.
“If your work lacks story,” he says, “it’s probably not fun.”
Steve’s advice? Don’t start with a strategic plan. Start with the end in mind. Whether you’re a team leader or a customer service rep, envision the kind of life and work you want, then reverse engineer the path to get there.
He puts it this way: “The story doesn’t have to end up being right. And it probably won’t be. But the wrong story is still more helpful than no story at all.”
That approach helped him launch King of Pops with just $7,000 in savings and a dream shared with his brothers. Since then, he’s spent the last 15 years building a business—and a culture—that proves work can be meaningful even when it’s hard.
These Are the Good Old Days
Chapter Two of Steve’s book, These Are the Good Old Days, reminds us that the most complex parts of work often become the most meaningful.
Whether he was sweating it out at music festivals or nervously selling his very first pop, Steve found that joy doesn’t always come from ease. “The awareness that tough moments are also formative—that’s what helps you get through them,” he says.
Even the simple act of selling popsicles became powerful. “The first time you sell a pop to somebody that you made—it’s intimidating,” Steve shared. “But when it works, it’s such a fun process. And when it doesn’t, you reboot.”
Building Ownership and Pride
A key theme of Work is Fun is how ownership fuels pride. Steve shared a powerful example: an employee named Justin, who noticed the company’s truck maintenance was disorganized. He didn’t wait for permission—he created a tracking system himself.
“That was better than anything I could’ve thought of,” Steve said. “And I wouldn’t have even known to ask.”
Ownership, Steve argues, isn’t something leaders must bestow. “Ownership is free to take,” he writes. And when people take it, they start to care. That leads to pride—what Steve calls “illogical but essential.” He told me, “You’ll do things that don’t make sense, like spend 27 more cents to improve a flavor. But pride compels you to do it anyway.”
Play Is Serious Business
One of the most surprising lessons from the book? How powerful play can be—even in repetitive or uninspiring work.
Take stick-dropping, for example. It’s the process of placing popsicle sticks into molds. It’s not glamorous, but Steve and his team turned it into a monthly competition called the Frosty Creek Olympics. They also gamified pouring pops to hit the perfect weight.
“If the task is boring,” Steve explained, “why not find a way to make it a little more fun?”
Steve offers this reframe for those who cringe at the idea of forced fun at work: “Replace the word ‘play’ with ‘lightheartedness.’ Just acknowledging that something isn’t that serious can change the tone of the whole meeting.”
How Leaders Can Get Started
When I asked Steve what leaders can do right now to create a workplace people enjoy, he emphasized that it’s a two-way street. “If an employee is dead set on hating their job, good luck. But if the employer is dead set on not being fun, same story.”
Still, he offered some clear starting points:
- Talk about the story – Not just the company mission, but also why each role matters. “Don’t assume people know,” he said.
- Give people ownership – Let them take the lead on things that matter to them.
- Make room for play – Even if it’s just lightheartedness or friendly competition.
- Celebrate shared challenges – Hard things done together often create the strongest bonds.
Looking Ahead—And Looking Back
In 2015, Steve wrote a vision for King of Pops through 2030. While not everything came true (his condo is no longer available for overnight guests), much of the spirit of that vision lives on. Most notably, they now offer an 80% discount for employees wanting to become “cartrepreneurs” in their neighborhoods.
“It’s not exactly what I wrote,” Steve said, “but it’s directionally right. And that’s what matters.”
Final Thoughts
Steve’s book reminds us that meaningful work isn’t found—it’s created. Whether you’re leading a company, managing a team, or figuring out your next step, Work is Fun invites you to stop waiting and start building joy into your everyday work.
As Steve puts it, “This is for sure what I’ve got. And it’s happening. You don’t want to miss it.”
Connect with our Guest
Steve Carse is the CEO of King of Pops and author of Work is Fun. Find him on LinkedIn or visit kingofpops.com. He’s also available for speaking engagements to help organizations bring more fun and meaning to work.
Brandon Laws is a workplace culture and leadership enthusiast, the Transform Your Workplace podcast host, and VP of Marketing and Product at Xenium HR.